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Pavarotti and Beyonce are inspiration for Croydon’s musical talents

By Evadney Campbell, Croydon Reporter

A Beyonce warm up act and a choir who sang at Luciano Pavarottis’ wedding. These were just two of the impressive acts which are now enjoying success thanks to Croydon Enterprise music cluster now renamed ‘Croydon music’.

Songwriter and musician Katy Shotter first made a name for herself when she appeared on the UK TV show ‘Chancers’.

Her success on this show led to an opening slot on Beyonce’s UK tour and due to the overwhelming response she received, Katy then continued on with Beyonce for the entire U.S. and Canadian leg of her tour.

James Edwards

For opera singer James Edwards, his career began as a chorister at St Pauls’ Cathedral. That opened the door for him to be as, it would appear, a wedding singer.

But this status did not start with any ordinary couple! James sang at the wedding of none other than Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Trained by Operatic greats Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo he has also been a session singer for films such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Speaking at the launch of ‘Croydon Music’ James said:

“I thought the evening was a complete eye opener. I was amazed by the amount and the quality of the acts that performed, and I was really proud to be a Croydon resident."

" The evening [continues James] gave me a real sense of local musical community and has altered my attitude to the music business in a positive way. I think that once word gets out that something good is going on in Croydon, it will have a knock on affect in other areas.”

IDMC Gospel group

Another local group who are also recipients of Croydon Enterprise Music cluster and another favourite on the wedding circuit are Gospel Choir IDMC.

IDMC are led by its Croydon based founder and director John Fisher, a well-known and respected face in the British gospel music industry who has worked with the likes of Chaka Khan, Mica Paris, Denise Williams, Ruby Turner and Candi Staton. He said:

“I am really happy for the work Croydon Music is doing in our fair town, exposing the wealth of talented artists we have in the borough."

"I am really happy for the work Croydon Music is doing in our fair town"

John Fisher, Director IDMC

IDMC have received numerous prestigious engagements including singing at Luciano Pavarotti’s wedding in 2003, Dame Anita Roddick’s Memorial Service, as well as performances at the christening of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell’s daughter and the wedding of Chelsea and England captain John Terry.

All three artists recently took part in the ‘Croydon Live’ music event. Arranged by the Croydon Enterprise music cluster in association with Croydon Business, the event gave local performers the opportunity to test their material on the public and to perfect their performances

“Croydon has a wealth of performers doing amazing things. I am glad to be able to give Croydon performers this opportunity and I will continue to assist and build a strong musical community in Croydon that will be able to take on the world.”

For more information on Croydon Music, check out their website and for details about the cluster's programme, visit Croydon Enterprise.

You can log onto both sites by clicking onto the links top right hand of this page.